Homework Help:
Regarding Total Internal Reflection

Q: Consider the optical interface between crown glass and ethanol.a) Under what conditions would total internal reflection be possible at this interface?
Illustrate your answer with a light-ray diagram.b) White light travels from crown glass into ethanol. If the angle of incidence in crown
glass is 60.00 degrees (not sure how to insert degree sign), what is the angular spread
between the red and violet parts of the visible spectrum in the ethanol? Illustrate your
answer with a light-ray diagram.c) Light travels from ethanol into crown glass. What is the Brewster angle in this
situation? Illustrate your answer with a light-ray diagram. What is the significance of
this angle of incidence?

Ok, so I have completed question a) and b). (Still working on c).
Any correction/advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again!

Answers:a) In order for the total internal reflection to occur, the light must enter from higher
index of refraction to a lower index of refraction, which in this case, Crown glass -->
Ethanol. In addition, the incident angle must be greater than the critical angle, which
is 63 degrees.Calculation:
Crown glass = 1.52 > Ethanol = 1.36
Sinθc = (1.36)(1.00) / 1.52
θc = 63 degrees.Diagram:http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5690/spa0202ux3.th.jpg [Broken]

There is no problem with this; I haven't checked the calculated numbers, but your logic is correct and if you can work that abacus correctly, I'll assume the numbers are right.

C is the easiest part. Look under polarization.

Thank you Chi Meson, I hope my works get perfect lol :\
and yep, for the part c, I've wrote down how the incident, or the Brewster angle
indicate that the reflected light is completely polarized parallel to the interface.